Paris Saint-Germain Flagship Store Officially Opens

On March 8, 2024, Paris Saint-Germain FC (hereafter PSG), a prestigious club in France's Ligue 1, will officially open the doors of its domestic flagship store through an opening event on the 10th.

PSG, having won the league for two consecutive seasons among many other titles, is one of the most victorious clubs in Ligue 1. Being France's representative club with numerous fans, it is also one of the brands highly valued in the global sports market. Due to the rising popularity of the club domestically, PSG decided to open a flagship store to strengthen bonds and emotional exchange with local fans, providing an opportunity to experience PSG more closely.

The PSG official flagship store, spread across three floors, will offer diverse experiences to visiting fans, each floor having its unique theme. The first floor will feature a café and bar space for food and beverage services, while the second and third floors, inspired by the team's locker room and stadium, will operate as a store selling official club merchandise as well as collaborative products with domestic brands.

The first brand to launch a special collaboration is Balansa, a solidly established brand in the domestic fashion industry. Balansa remarked, "I remember designing PSG’s first Hangul uniform in the club's history. I feel honored to be part of the flagship opening following that moment." The collaboration between PSG and Balansa includes limited edition apparel and accessories, exclusively available at the PSG official flagship store. PSG's efforts to blend various Korean cultural elements into the store, thereby building an emotional connection with fans, are evident.

In celebration of this launch, PSG will conduct multiple events in the country over the next three days. Former Nigerian national player and iconic PSG legend, Jay Jay Okocha, has arrived in Korea for the event. Okocha expressed, "I am honored to celebrate the opening of PSG's Seoul flagship store and be present here. I am well aware of the passion Korean fans have for PSG. I am very happy to meet the fans of PSG in Korea and spend special time with them." This is Okocha’s first visit to Korea.

A private event attended by Jay Jay Okocha, famous domestic celebrities, and PSG domestic and international representatives will take place on March 8th (Friday), and the PSG store will open at Starfield Hanam on March 9th (Saturday). This provides an additional avenue to explore official club merchandise following the flagship store in Seoul. Notably, a special fan signing event with Okocha will be held through a pre-drawn lottery on this day.

The official opening event on March 10th (Sunday) will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a viewing party watching PSG's match against Reims at 21:00 Korean time. Notably, the players will wear special design uniforms marked with Hangul to commemorate the opening of the Korean flagship store during this match.

The players wearing Hangul-marked uniforms is a moment for the second time this season, the first being last December. Additionally, legend Okocha will visit the PSG Academy in Cheongna City on the day, conducting a special training session for 30 children. PSG has been operating seven PSG Academies in Korea since 2021, with around 1,000 students enrolled in academies near Seoul.

The decision to open a flagship store in Seoul was backed by the fervent passion and interest of Korean fans towards PSG. The club's popularity among domestic fans has notably increased with the signing of Lee Kang-in. Currently, PSG has over 24,000 Korean followers on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), ranking second among football clubs with the highest number of domestic followers on X. Also, the movement of domestic fans has been noticed in Paris. The percentage of Korean fans attending matches at PSG's home stadium, Parc des Princes, has increased by 20%, and the stadium tour participation rate has risen by 300%.

Sébastien Wasels, PSG's Asia Pacific Managing Director, stated, "We are feeling the popularity of PSG in Korea. Although the popularity has increased recently, PSG has been striving to approach domestic fans through various partnerships in Korea for some time. Korea is one of the important strategic markets for PSG, and the Seoul flagship is considered to play a very important role in PSG's further growth not only in Korea but also in Asia."

Since opening its first boutique in 2019, PSG has continued to achieve successful outcomes in Korea, including a visit through the Asian tour last August. Currently, Korea is the second-largest market for PSG's e-commerce section. Also, last November, Paris Baguette became the first Korean company to start a partnership with PSG.

Meanwhile, PSG currently operates stores in New York, Miami, Las Vegas, Toronto, Tokyo, Seoul, London, and Doha, and plans to continue promoting the club's unique color and identity worldwide.